Hamburger Casserole

By sassy47

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound macaroni
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup buttermilk or low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup (3 ounces) grated sharp cheddar
• FOR TOPPING
• 1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 350F.
Cook the macaroni in well-salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large oven-safe skillet, heat olive oil until shimmery. Add onion and green pepper as they are prepped, stirring to coat with fat. Add meat and cumin, breaking meat into pieces with a spatula, and cook until all signs of pink has disappeared. Stir in cornmeal and let cook for a minute. Stir in tomatoes and let cook, stirring often, scraping up any brown bits from the pan.
Remove from heat, stir in cooked macaroni, broth, buttermilk, parsley and salt and pepper. Taste it now, adjust seasonings. Stir in 1 cup cheddar.
Insert skillet into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheddar over top and return to oven until cheese melts, under the broiler if you prefer.
MAKE AHEAD Cook and drain the macaroni, toss with a teaspoon of oil to prevent sticking. Cover and refrigerate. Cook the vegetables, meat and tomatoes; cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, combine macaroni, cooked meat-tomato mixture and remaining ingredients and place in a casserole dish or oven-safe skillet. Bake for 45 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle cheese over top and return to the oven until cheese melts.